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D.C. Sniper Sentenced to Death
Aired November 24, 2003 - 14:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: The choice was life or death, and jurors in the John Allen Muhammad trial in Virginia Beach chose death, having found Muhammad guilty of murder, terrorism, and associated offenses.
Jurors spent about five hours deciding his fate.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve was in the courtroom where the decision came down. She joins us now live with details -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, John Muhammad stood straight and tall, showing no visible emotion as the clerk read the unanimous verdict of the jury in this penalty phase of the trial on capital terrorism.
The verdict was the death penalty on capital murder. Again, the death penalty. On conspiracy, ten years. And on commission of a felony with a firearm, three years.
The family members of victims were pleased by the verdict and so were prosecutors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL EBERT, COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: It's not a verdict that like all cases, that we take any pleasure in per se. But there are certain cases in -- which deserve the death penalty. And we feel that this was one of them. As we said from the get-go, the death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst. And we think in Mr. Muhammad -- fell in that category. And the jury agreed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: The jury deliberated for about 5 1/2 hours before reaching unanimity. In talking to reporters afterwards, several jurors indicated that initially, they had had some hesitation to impose the death penalty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER BEST-TEAGUE, JUROR: The hardest thing for me, truthfully, the fact that he has children. And that I know what it would be like to not ever be able to see mine again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: In the end, several jurors said that John Muhammad's apparent lack of remorse influenced them. Also the collective horrors of the crime.
And one juror said he was worried about the danger John Muhammad could pose in the future, even if he did spend the rest of his life in prison.
Now the defense attorneys would not comment on John Muhammad's reaction once he was out of the courtroom. They said they were bitterly disappointed, and they could not agree with anything which would sanction the taking of life.
Obviously, a long round of appeals lies ahead in this case.
Miles, back to you.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeanne Meserve in Virginia Beach, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 24, 2003 - 14:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: The choice was life or death, and jurors in the John Allen Muhammad trial in Virginia Beach chose death, having found Muhammad guilty of murder, terrorism, and associated offenses.
Jurors spent about five hours deciding his fate.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve was in the courtroom where the decision came down. She joins us now live with details -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, John Muhammad stood straight and tall, showing no visible emotion as the clerk read the unanimous verdict of the jury in this penalty phase of the trial on capital terrorism.
The verdict was the death penalty on capital murder. Again, the death penalty. On conspiracy, ten years. And on commission of a felony with a firearm, three years.
The family members of victims were pleased by the verdict and so were prosecutors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL EBERT, COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: It's not a verdict that like all cases, that we take any pleasure in per se. But there are certain cases in -- which deserve the death penalty. And we feel that this was one of them. As we said from the get-go, the death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst. And we think in Mr. Muhammad -- fell in that category. And the jury agreed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: The jury deliberated for about 5 1/2 hours before reaching unanimity. In talking to reporters afterwards, several jurors indicated that initially, they had had some hesitation to impose the death penalty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER BEST-TEAGUE, JUROR: The hardest thing for me, truthfully, the fact that he has children. And that I know what it would be like to not ever be able to see mine again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: In the end, several jurors said that John Muhammad's apparent lack of remorse influenced them. Also the collective horrors of the crime.
And one juror said he was worried about the danger John Muhammad could pose in the future, even if he did spend the rest of his life in prison.
Now the defense attorneys would not comment on John Muhammad's reaction once he was out of the courtroom. They said they were bitterly disappointed, and they could not agree with anything which would sanction the taking of life.
Obviously, a long round of appeals lies ahead in this case.
Miles, back to you.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeanne Meserve in Virginia Beach, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
